Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany’s)

Regimental Depot

Fort George, near Ardersier, Inverness

Battalions of the Regular Army

1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Agra, India. Part of the Dehra Dun Brigade in Meerut Division.
21 September 1914 : moved to France, landing at Marseilles on 12 October 1914.
December 1915 : moved to Mesopotamia, landing at Basra late in the month. Formation was by now renamed 21st Brigade, 7th Indian Division.
4 February 1916 : owing to heavy casualties, formed the Highland Battalion with 2nd Bn, the Black Watch.
12 July 1916 : resumed former title.
January 1918 : moved to Palestine, arriving Suez 13 January 1918.

2nd Battalion
August 1914 : at Shorncliffe. Part of 10th Brigade in 4th Division. Moved on mobilisation to York area (including Darlington and Strensall) before moving to Harrow.
23 August 1914 : landed at Boulogne.

3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : at Fort George. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Cromarty where it then remained as part of the Cromarty Garrison.

Battalions of the Territorial Force

1/4th (Ross Highland) Battalion
August 1914 : at Dingwall. Part of Seaforth & Cameron Brigade in the Highland Division.
7 November 1914 : left the Division and landed at Le Havre, and on the 12 December 1914 joined the Dehra Dun Brigade in 7th (Meerut) Division on the Western Front.
6 November 1915 : transferred to 137th Brigade in 46th (North Midland) Division.
13 November 1915 : transferred to 46th Brigade in 15th (Scottish) Division.
7 January 1916 : transferred to 154th Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division.

1/5th (The Sutherland and Caithness) Battalion
August 1914 : at Golspie. Part of Seaforth & Cameron Brigade in the Highland Division. Moved to Bedford.
2 May 1915 : landed in France.
12 May 1915 : formation retitled to 152nd Brigade in 51st (Highland) Division.
12 April 1919: final cadre landed at Southampton and proceeded to Gailes for demobilisation.

1/6th (Morayshire) Battalion
August 1914 : at Elgin. Part of Seaforth & Cameron Brigade in the Highland Division. Record same as 1/5th Bn up to 1919.

Battle of the Scarpe. Capture of the Greenland Hill by the 51st Division. Daylight patrol of the 6th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders working forward towards Hausa and Delbar Woods. North-east of Roeux, 29 August 1918. Troops crossing an old trench in the No Man's Land. Imperial War Museum image Q7009
Battle of the Scarpe. Capture of the Greenland Hill by the 51st Division. Daylight patrol of the 6th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders working forward towards Hausa and Delbar Woods. North-east of Roeux, 29 August 1918. Troops crossing an old trench in the No Man’s Land. Imperial War Museum image Q7009

2/4th (Ross Highland) Battalion
Formed at Dingwall in September 1914 as a second line battalion.
January 1915 : attached to 2nd Seaforth & Cameron Highlanders Brigade, 2nd Highland Division. Moved to Fort George in April 1915 and Blair Atholl in July, going to billets in Pitlochry in October 1915.
October 1915 : formation became 191st Brigade in 64th (2nd Highland) Division.
Was called No 1 Battalion between November 1915 and January 1916.
Moved to Norwich in March 1916, going on to Blickling Park (June), Kelling (July) and Cromer (October 1916). Returned to Kelling in May 1917 and Cromer by the end of 1917. Disbanded in June 1918.

2/5th (The Sutherland and Caithness) Battalion
Formed at Golspie in September 1914 as a second line battalion.
January 1915 : attached to 2nd Seaforth & Cameron Highlanders Brigade , 2nd Highland Division. Moved to Fort George in April 1915 and Blair Atholl in July.
October 1915 : absorbed into 2/6th Bn.

2/6th (Morayshire) Battalion
Formed in Elgin in September 1914 as a second line battalion. Record same as 2/4th Bn except it went to Crieff in October 1915 and there absorbed 2/5th Bn.

3/4th, 3/5th and 3/6th Battalions
Formed at home bases in March 1915 and moved to Ardersier in May, going on to Ripon in November 1915.
8 April 1916 : renamed as Reserve Battalions at Ripon.
1 September 1916 : 4th absorbed the 5th and 6th Bns. Moved to Glencorse in May 1918 where it remained as part of the Forth Garrison.

Battalions of the New Armies

7th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Fort George in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under command of 26th Brigade in 9th (Scottish) Division.
Moved to Aldershot and in January 1915 went into billets in Alton. Moved on to Bordon in March 1915.
Landed at Boulogne in mid May 1915.

8th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Fort George in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under command of 44th Brigade in 15th (Scottish) Division. Moved to Aldershot and in November went to Petersfield. Moved to Chisledon Camp (Salisbury Plain) in February 1915, then Tidworth in May.
Landed at Boulogne in July 1915.

9th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Fort George in October 1914. Moved to Aldershot in November and on 3 December came under command of 9th (Scottish) Division.
Became Pioneer Battalion to same Division in early 1915 and moved to Rowledge (Farnham).
Landed at Boulogne on 10 May 1915.

10th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Cromarty on 28 October 1914 as a K4 Service Battalion and came under command of 101st Brigade in original 34th Division.
10 April 1915 : became a Reserve Battalion and moved in Tain. Moved on to Catterick in October 1915, going on to Dunfermline in April 1916.
1 September 1916 : converted into 39th Training Reserve Battalion of 9th Reserve Brigade at Dunfermline.

Other Battalions

1st Garrison Battalion
Formed at Tillicoultry in July 1916. Moved to Salonika in August 1916.
1 March 1917 : placed under command of 228th Brigade in 28th Division.

Pic
The Seaforths memorial which stands on high ground above Fampoux in the Arras battlefield. From here there are unbroken views down the slope to the Chemical Works at Roeux, a dreadful graveyard for Scots battalions in 1917.

Links

Other British infantry regiments

4th Division

7th (Meerut) Division

9th (Scottish) Division

15th (Scottish) Division

28th Division

51st (Highland) Division

64th (2nd Highland) Division

Training Reserve

Regimental museum

Books

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